Quick-break switch.



B. L. BOBROFF.

QUICK BREAK SWITCH.

APPLiCATlON FILED JUNE 18, 19:].

1,289,623. Patent-ed D601 31, 1918.

0 @mkiw /9- f/ I W 5 /5 Kim/ f PWW r sen Ti 1 ,2 a Asturias QUICK-BREAK.Si l Specification of Letters Patent.

Fat-tented Dec. 31, 1%18.

Application filed June 18, 1917. Serial No. 175,322.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BORNETT L. 'Bonnorr, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Quick-Brealc Switches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in electric switchesmore particularly of the quick-break type adapted for use in connectionwith high tension cur rents.

It is in general the object of my invem tion to simplify and otherwiseimprove the structure of switches of this character, and it isparticularly an object to provide a twoway quick-break switch includinga pair of relatively movable knife sections connected by a common springwhereby to procure an exceedingly compact structure possessing a minimumnumber. of parts.

A still further object resides in the provision of a quiclzsbreak lockcontrolled switch which is automatically returned to open position uponrelease of the manual control member therefor, and whereby said return.means serves to facilitate the quick-break ac tion of the switch.

With the above and other objects and advantages in. view, the inventionresides more particularly in the novel combination, arrangement andformation of parts hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a two-Way lock controlled switch embodying myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the switch on the line 2-2 of Fig".l, and

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2 showing thespring return means for the switch arm.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, 5designates a base plate for the switch, adapted to be secured.

to any suitable support, and carried on this base plate is an oblonginsulating block 6 which has secured to each end of its inner face aplate 2' having one side laterally turned for the eception of a binding"screw 8, and having secured thereto a preferably conventional contactstrip 9 ll-shaped in cross-section to frictionally receive a switch arm.Secured to the central portion of the blbclr and projectinglaterally'therefrom between contact strips 9 is a contact plate 10 andthis contact plate has secured thereto a common wire 11 of a pair ofcircuits including wires 12 connected with the binding screws 8, thestructure described thus forming the stationary contacts of a two-wayswitch I The lock member comprises a barrel. 13 and this barrel ispassed through the base plate 5 and is secured. thereto by a peripheralflange 14 on its outer end and by a nut 15 threaded on its body andclamping the base plate against tie flange, the barrel being preferablyflattened longitudinally to pre vent its rotation relative to the plate.Projecting from the barrel is a spindle 16, held against relativemovement longitudinallyof the barrel by a plate 17 on the inner end ofthe barrel and this spindle has secured by the screws 18 to saidprojected end an insulating block 19 which carries a switch arm 20projecting between the contact members 9. This switch arm is resilientlyurged to a position intermediate of the contact menn bers 9 by a springwire 21. coiled about the projected end of the spindle and l aving itsends extended radially thereof and adapted to bear against a pin 22projecting from the loci: barrel/13 and against the laterally directedfinger of a bar 23 passed transversely through and secured in thespindle.

The contact plate i0 is resilient in nature, and has its free enddisposed adjacent the axis of the lock, and passed through said free endin alinenient with said lock axis is a contact screw 24 hearing againstthe switch arm 20 and providing for flow of current through said switcharm from the contact plate, the end of the screw being beveled to permitfree rotation of the arm.

The outer side portions of the contact arm are cut away, and disposedtransvm-scly of the intermediate portion of the arm are plates 25between the outer projecting ends of which are pivoted the rear ends ofknife sections 26 which are normally urged in abutting relation with thesides of the arm by a coiled. spring 27 secured thereto and traversingthe arm. The rear inner sides of these knife sections are beveled toabut the sides of the arm and limit the outward pivotal movement ofthesections.

Taking up now the operation of the switch, the spindle is turned ineither direction by means of the usual key 28 of the lock, to engage theswitch arm and the adjacent side knife section 26 thereof within eitherof the U-shaped contact membtas 9, it being noted that the laterallyturned sides of the plates form stops limiting movementof the knife arm.and that the contaete nembers are of sufficient width to 1)l'()Ct1 l' j-lCOl1. tact engagement thereof with both the switch arm and theadjacent knife section. Ipon releasing'the key, the switch arm willimmediately move backto intermediate position under action of the spring21. The resilient strength of tlnMU-shaped contact members 9 is.however, greater than the resili- .ent strength of the sprin 27. andthus in moving from contacting relation with one. of the contact members9. the adjacent knife section would be retained therein and would move.pivotally with respect to the knife arm. thus splitting the current andupon the knife section reaching its limit of pivotal movement. it wouldbe released from the contact member 9. and the spring 27 being thenunder tension would procure a snapping movement. This snapping movementis obviously in addition to the snapping movementwhich would be effectedby the release of the key- 28 due to the spring '31 and thus anexceedingly rapid action is procured in disengaging the conditions. topre-. vent the undesired a'currence of the usual arc. The twoindependent circuits formed by these parts and the wires 11 and 1; eachcontains an alarm or other indicating means to show when either of thecircuits is complete, such means in the present instance shown intheform of buzzers 30. Any other desired indicating device could be equallyas well used. one being disposed in each circuit. 7

\Vhile I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention. it is obvious that under ditferent conditions of use, variousmmlitications and changes of structure maybe. resorted to withoutdeparting in any manner from the spirit of my invention and it isfurther obvious that varions of the features of my invention may.

be. used independently inasmuch as under certain circumstaiu-es it maybe lesired to dispense with the lock control feature of my invention inparticular connection with the quick-break feature.

What is claimed:

1. switch of the class described including a rotatable member. a switcharm carried by said rotatable member. a stationary' electric contactcngageable by said switch arm upon rotation of the member. a contactplate extending transversely across one c of the rotatable member andurged said rotatable member. and a contact n. ber carried by the contactplate and in electrical connection with the contact arm, the engagingportion of said contactmember coinciding substantially with the axis ofrotation of the rotatable member.

2. A switch of the class described con1- prising an n erating memberincluding a rotatable spindle. an insulating block. a stationaryelectric'contact on said block, a stationary current conducting springcontact plate secured at one end to the insulating block. the free endof said contact plate being disposed adjacent to and spaced from one endof the spindle, an insulating plate secured to the last mentioned end ofthe spindle. a switch arm attached to the insulating plate to insulatethe same from the operating member. said arm being movable toward oraway from the stationary contact by rotation of the spindle and disposedbetween said insulating block and the contact plate. and a contactmember carried by the free end of the stationary contact plate andengaging the movable switch arm in axial alinement with the rotatable.spindle.

3. A switch of the class described comprising a carrying plate. aninsulating block secured to the inner wall of said carrying plate. anoperating member including a rotatable spindle disposed inwardly of saidplate. a stationary electric contact on said block. a stationary currentcomlucting spring contact plate secured at one end to the insulatingblock. its free end being disposed adjacent to and spaced from the innerend of the spindle. an insulating plate secured to the inner end of thespindle. a switch arm attached to the insulating plate and movablebetween the contact plate and the insulating block by the rotation ofsaid spindle. whereby to move the same toward 0' a my from thestationary electric contact. and an adjustable contact member threadedthrough the free end of the spring contact plate and having its pointedend engaged with the switch arm adjacent its connection with theinsulating plate and in axial alinement with said spindle.

in testimony that I claim I have hereunto setmy hand in the county ofMilwaukee \Visconsin.

the foregoing at Rhlwankee. and State of BORN ETT L. llt liltUFl.

